‘Bachelorette’ Andi Dorfman ‘Devastated’ Over Eric Hill’s Death

While Andi is happy to be on her journey of love, she was completely heartbroken when she heard about the sad death of Eric Hill, the contestant who died in paragliding accident on April 23.

Eric Hill, the 32-year-old adventurer that we will meet on the May 19th premiere of The Bachelorettepassed away too soon while doing what he loves — paragliding in Draper, Utah. He competed for Andi Dorfman‘s heart on season ten of the show, and was eliminated a few weeks before the tragic accident. Andi has now revealed how she felt when she found out the horrific news.

Andi Dorfman Devastated Over Eric Hill’s Death: He ‘Was Part Of Our Family’

“Shock, devastation, grief. It’s something you never could have predicted [or] expected,” Andi told People about her reaction to the news. He “was part of our family, and I had just seen him. He was a member of our cast and we had an inherent bond. The [other contestants] shared that bond too. It was shocking and devastating to all of us and it’s still a tough thing that we’re going through.”

However, she definitely will remember him the way that he wanted to be remembered — a risk taker. Eric loved to travel and was on a mission to hit every country on Earth in under 1,200 days — “The Global Odyssey.”

“I will always remember Eric’s love for life,” Andi, 26, said. “People say, ‘Oh he lived life to the fullest.’ But Eric really was the epitome of someone who lived life to the fullest. This man had amazing stories and great experiences. His sense of adventure inspired not only me, but every guy in the house, every producer, every crew member. Everybody says they want to do stuff in their life but he was really doing it.”

So so sad. Eric will not be edited out of the season, but they did pay tribute to him on the premiere. Tune in to The Bachelorette on May 19 at 9:30 PM ET on ABC.